Millwright serves his community for 40 years

For Marcel Therrien, serving his community isn’t just something he does outside of his day job, it’s a way of life.

A millwright at the Saint Leonard Sawmill of 46 years, Marcel has also been a volunteer firefighter for 40 years and he’s served on the sawmill’s fire crew for the last five.

Marcel was originally a volunteer with the fire department for the Village of Rivière-Verte in northern New Brunswick, which has since merged with the Edmundston Fire Department.

Volunteer firefighters play a vital role in their communities, which are usually rural, and are often first to the scene of a fire, accident or other disaster. Acting as first responders, they participate in rescue operations, but that’s not all. Marcel adds that he and his fellow volunteers take part in fundraising initiatives for their community too.

Volunteering as a firefighter not only provides crew members with the chance to develop teamwork skills and a sense of belonging, but it also provides the experiences and training to help build self-confidence, Marcel said.

His favourite memories include participating in annual firefighting tournaments.

“Especially those where we won a few times and had the honor of representing the region at provincial firefighter tournaments,” he said. “I really enjoyed the competition during the firefighter games.”

For Marcel, being a firefighter is all about belonging to a team with strong values, helping people in need, and serving others.

“I wanted to serve my community,” he added. “To put my skills at the service of people, assist and help individuals during a disaster, participate in the improvement of public safety and to be part of a group that practices teamwork, solidarity, and a sense of duty.”